Music and Philosophy
If you have read any music related philosophy, please post any good books. I have been reading Roger Scruton a lot recently, and well I find it very interesting. He makes mention to Croce, Kant and Goodman A LOT. Have any of you read their viewpoints on music? if so, what did you think of it?
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Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. -- Act V, Scene V, Macbeth. -
Beyond,
I am currently reading "The Esthetics of Music" by Carl Dahlhaus, and it is exactly on your topic. This is a relatively slim tome, scarcely 100 pages, as it is merely an introduction to a huge subject, but it is really quite interesting. Of course, esthetics, what we perceive as beauty, is nothing but philosophy, and he quotes heavily from Kant in particular, who was more knowledgeable about music than one would have suspected. For people of a philosophical bent, and admittedly not all are, I highly recommend this book as a starter guide. I am only half through it, but it has already gotten me thinking in different directions, which is what books are for, yes?
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Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Regards,
Gurn
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That's my opinion, I may be wrong.
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If you are interested in the philosophy of music, then you cannot go past the great nineteenth century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer. I thoroughly recommend you get hold of one of his books."It is only as an aesthetic experience that existence is eternally justified" - NietzscheComment
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haha I just got past a part in the Roger Scruton reading where he references Dahlhaus and that exact book. This book is relatively new, so he makes references to so much that I havent read. He does compliment Schopenhauer a lot, so I do want to dive into that. Steppenwolf, do you have any specific titles to recommend?Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. -- Act V, Scene V, Macbeth.Comment
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Roger Scruton is quite (unfairly, IMO) dismissive of Schopenhauer in 'The Aesthetics of Music'. But many consider him to have been the 'musician's philosopher'.Originally posted by Beyond Within:
haha I just got past a part in the Roger Scruton reading where he references Dahlhaus and that exact book. This book is relatively new, so he makes references to so much that I havent read. He does compliment Schopenhauer a lot, so I do want to dive into that. Steppenwolf, do you have any specific titles to recommend?
As for specific titles - Schopenhauer's magnum opus is a very intense, heavy, and complex two volumnes entitled 'The World as Will and Representation'. Within that work there are chapters on the deep metaphysical meaning of music. But it can't be understood unless in the context of Schopenhauer's philosophy as a whole.
Unless you are really interested in philosophy and metaphysics, you might not want to tackle this colossal work. So instead I very strongly recommend the book 'Wagner and Philosophy' by Brian Magee. Even if you are not especially interested in Wagner, it contains some wonderful, readable and very interesting chapters on the philosophy of music (generally, not just in relation to Wagner), and a very good and easily digestible introduction to the philosophy of Schopenhauer. You can get it in paperback from Amazon for a reasonable price. I really recommend you consider it.
As a very brief introduction, Schopenhauer believed that there were three 'worldly' ways to gain a glimpse into the deepest meaning of the universe - through sexual ecstasy, through compassion, and through music."It is only as an aesthetic experience that existence is eternally justified" - NietzscheComment
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